Fish out of Water
by Storm Arashi
Summary: What defines humanity, what defines who you are? Your genes? Your Soul? Your body? Your thoughts? Your dreams? What happens if all of that was taken away? Changed? For one girl, having everything change may be for the better... Or it could be for the worst. If you were a fish out of water... Would you be willing to go back to the sea?
1. Prologue

_Humans… We take so much for granted sometimes… We're blissfully ignorant of things until it's slammed right into our faces and we're forced to fight back._

_Sometimes it's easier said than done. Slamming your fist into a creep's face for getting too close for comfort. Bashing someone in the head with a pipe. All easy to say… and sometimes, in the heat of the moment, so easy to do._

_It's a strange life, when you're the one on the outside of it all. When you used to be in the inside._

_But that was then and this is now._

_When you're a fish out of water…_

_It can be an interesting life..._

_If not a dangerous one._


	2. Chapter 1: The Sisters

Chapter 1

_The area around her was cold… dark. She couldn't see anything. She was simply floating in place, looking this way and that trying to figure out where to go from here._

_Looking above she didn't see any lights. Looking below she saw none either. Ahead…. Nothing. Behind her… Nothing._

_It was as if all there was to this realm was floating and nothingness._

"_**Loralie."**_

_She looked around quickly, wondering who spoke her name. _

"_H-Hello?" She called, bubbles flying from her mouth when she spoke. _

"_**Loralie."**_

_Where was that coming from? She spun in her realm, trying to find the source of the voice._

_She squinted in the darkness, seeing a light. She started moving forward as the area around her illuminated._

_It was a coral reef… One deep down beneath the sea. The girl looked around, finding herself feeling at home in this colorful place._

"_**Loralie…."**_

_She swam passed a sunken bottle and doubled back, looking at her reflection, gasping._

_Looking back at her was the face of something else entirely._

"AHHH!"

**THUD!**

Loralie Hunter hit the floor in a heap, tangled up in her blanket as she struggled to get loose.

"Leggo!"

Sometimes she didn't know how she wound up waking up like this. It was odd. She hated small spaces before… but now she couldn't help but huddle into things as deep as she could. It was just instincts.

She squirmed, whining a little before the blanket finally came loose as she flopped on her side, relieved to be out of that pickle.

Loralie waited a moment before sitting up, yawning, stretching her arms above her head. "Well that was a weird dream." She mused to herself, running a hand through her hair. _What time is it…?_ She got up wandering over to a clock that was mounted on the wall.

10:50 PM.

Her sister was still at work and wouldn't be getting off until eleven.

_I told her not to get a shift at McDonalds but she wouldn't listen to me… _She sighed as she went over to the radio, turning it on and looking around their abode.

It was an old boathouse, modified to be more of a home, however temporary it would be. It had been a rough two months since they had taken off, but it was proving worth it so far.

_Just need to be able to afford more than just the literal basics… Winter's coming soon… _ The downside of this, was they relied mostly on batteries for their radio and that got expensive. The boathouse initially had electricity to power the overhead lights but that had been cut a long time ago. They tried to get it started a few times but they only got nearly electrocuted for their trouble. Emmaline had declared it a matter of pride and now their funds besides food was going to go into getting a generator working in there and a space heater so they wouldn't freeze.

"_We could just go back home if it gets too bad Emma."_

"_IT'S A FRICKEN MATTER OF PRIDE!"_

_Working at AMC and McDonalds isn't exactly a prideful job sis…_ She thought as she swept up a bit, humming a little. "It doesn't matter who you hurt… If you're just proving you're the best…" She sung quietly under her breath.

She passed a mirror that they had found in the junkyard and halted looking at her appearance. The very reason they were in hiding now… and to her, the reason she was still alive.

Loralie had been mutated three months ago from a sick human to what constituted as a "healthy" shark mutant. Her appearance remained a mix of human and Epaulette shark, from the beige skin covered in dark brown spots, to the large white rimmed black spot on her cheek, to the dorsal fin protruding from her back.

The last one being the biggest pain when she wanted to sleep at night. She sighed a bit, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

But it was better than being dead.

"Lora?"

She turned seeing a girl older than her by about two years enter. Her appearance mimicked Loralie in her human life but had more maturity and her own features. This was Emmaline Hunter, Loralie's sister, her best friend… and her only friend at that.

"Hey sis." She smiled, dropping the broom and running over to her sibling, pulling her into a hug.

Emmaline hugged her back, keeping her close for a moment. "Hey you… Thought you would be asleep."

"I woke up…" She gave a sheepish look. "Bad dream."

Emmaline frowned, leading her sister over to her own bed, sitting with her. "Wanna talk about it?" She asked as she looked around for her spare clothes. "We can while I'm changing."

"Eh… It was weird." She replied, turning as Emmaline changed out of view.

"Define weird?" Emmaline called, albeit a little muffled from trying to get her uniform shirt over her head. "Ugh I swear I gained weight! This shirt is smaller than it was!"

"You picked the smallest size possible claiming you couldn't possibly have gained a few pounds from getting free popcorn at AMC." Loralie pointed out, glancing behind her at her sister. "And wearing a tank top under that."

Emmaline rolled her eyes, managing to get loose. "I am so going to prove you wrong on that. I did NOT gain weight!"

Loralie rolled her own eyes, giving her an unimpressed look. Emmaline was always like this. Always worried about her weight, even now. It was just another nervous tick of hers. Emmaline, the brave one of them, the fighter… Who was also terrified of subway trains and had an irrational obsession with her weight. "Good luck with that." She said in a sing song voice turning away.

Emmaline, while Loralie was busy, held her pajama top close to her body as she turned examining herself in the mirror. _No bruises… Nothing weird… No bumps… Good… _She sighed in relief before pulling the shirt up over her shoulders and buttoning it. She herself worried about more than just her weight… But it was part of it.

She supposed she could be called obsessive but she just wanted to be around for a long time, to look after her sister. _No one else will… Not like this…_ She thought before sitting beside her sibling. It was quiet as the girls looked around their small home. "So um…"

"Think we could sneak back home and pilfer my ballet shoes…?" Loralie asked quietly, remembering the pointe shoes she had loved so much. She missed being able to do at least that much. Most of her life spent in ballet class and enjoying the freedom the dancing gave her. Even if she was by herself it was better than being by herself bored half to death.

Emmaline gave a shrug. "I dunno Lor'... I really don't… If we try mom and dad might catch us… I love them I do… But… We can't go back there… We just can't."

Their parents were never abusive. They were far from it… But it was the fact that they had grown used to the way life was now. Emmaline didn't want to accept help and their parents… Their hearts were in the right places,but their minds weren't at times.

"Okay… Yeah it was a stupid idea…"

"No… It wasn't. How about this? I'll buy you some new ones for Christmas?" She offered. Loralie's head shot up in surprise.

"New?!"

"Yep, the AMC I work at is right around the corner from a dance academy. I could use cash directly to buy a pair of pointes in your size. Just give me the measurements and stuff… But it'll have to be the "big" gift. Nothing else… Those things aren't exactly cheap."

Loralie smiled, hugging her sister, squealing a little. "You're the best sister EVER!" She laughed, giving her a nuzzle. Emmaline giggled, returning the gesture.

"Nah… Just dorky ol'Emma." She said before kissing her sister's forehead. "Now go to bed."

"Kay!" She giggled, practically dancing to her own bed.

Emmaline laid down, closing her eyes, relaxing.

Just as she started to drift, she swore she heard her sister humming a song from one of her recitals.

_Promise… I'll take care of ya sis…. And I will do anythin' to see you happy…_

_Just a little more… Just a little…._ He steadied his hand slowly, tipping the vial towards the flask in his other hand, eyes narrowed in focus. _Almost there… Almost-_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

THUD!

He jumped, nearly dropping the chemicals, growling a bit. He capped the vial and set the flask down, venturing out of his lab, looking around his home to see what chaos had befallen his brothers… _Again._

Hamato Donatello sighed as he watched Raphael chase Michelangelo around their lair. "I'M GONNA KILL YA MIKEY!"

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! LEO! MASTER SPLINTER! DOOOONNNIIEEEEE!"

"Splinta' and Fearless won't save ya this time! And Don won't either not after LAST TIME!"

_Oh yes._

_LAST TIME._

He felt his eye twitch a bit recalling the last time he had tried to "help" Mikey. THAT had ended in disaster.

"What'd he do this time?"

Donnie looked over to see his blue masked brother emerging from his room. "Depends, I haven't asked yet."

"HEEEELP! LEOLEOLEOLEOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"I'LL TEACH YA TO COME INTO MY ROOM AND STEAL MY CHIPS!"

_Ah._

_His stash._

It was no secret the boys all had stashes of something or other in their rooms. Even as children, which displeased Master Splinter immensely but as his boys grew they had their preferences and preferences in what they didn't wish for their brothers to touch.

Taking one's stash could lead to a painful bloody demise if not careful.

Leo wisely stepped out of the way as Mikey tore past and into his room, slamming the door in Raph's face.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

'Remember Raphie, murder is illegal." Leo pointed out.

Donnie shook his head. "Guys, it's a little late for this isn't it?"

_Then again…_

_This is when we're usually wide awake…_


	3. Chapter 2: Junkyard meeting

Loralie hummed to herself, swinging her legs leisurely as she read a book. She didn't know why or how Emmaline was getting ahold of these books and frankly she didn't want to know. She was just glad to have a reprieve from the boredom.

_Speaking of… _She looked up, hearing their makeshift shower shut off. Emmaline shivered as she came back in, still damp but in her night clothes again. "You okay?"

"N-N-Never again…" She muttered before eying her old "enemy" that sat against the wall.

Loralie shook her head. She should have NEVER pointed that thing out when they were looking for things to furnish the boat house with. Because now Emmaline had a serious issue with it.

What was it?

A bathroom scale that still worked.

"Emma, just leave it alone." She sighed, bringing "The Hunger Games" back up to her face.

"No!"

"Your funeral." She muttered, knowing this was not going to end well for Emmaline or the scale.

Emmaline looked at the scale, taking a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest and crossing her fingers as well. She stepped onto the scale closing her eyes. _Please, oh please, oh please let me be the same weight…._

She opened an eye looking at the scale.

Loralie jumped hearing her sister cry out. "What's wrong!?"

Emmaline looked to her sister as if she had just been attacked. "I...I…"

"You what?"

"I...I… I GAINED TWO POUNDS!" She wailed, kicking the scale, yelping a bit when the metal collided with her bare foot. "Ow!"

Loralie looked at her sister, shaking her head. She sometimes wondered if she was adopted or if her sister merely inherited the crazy gene. "THAT is the reason for the drama?"

"Don't mock me! This is serious!" She wailed sitting on the ground. "H-How could I have…?"

"Free. Popcorn."

"I didn't eat THAT much!"

The younger sister sighed. "Just run it off, you'll burn it off in no time flat when you go for the usual run to work."

Emmaline pouted, crossing her arms, turning her nose up. "Hmph-WAIT WHAT TIME IS IT!?" She looked to her watch and swore jumping up.

"Emma you just got home-"

"I was able to score the shift for a midnight release at the theater." She explained running to get her clothes back on, Loralie sighed bringing her book back up to her face.

"If you can, can you get the Lunar Chronicles next time you're out?"

"Sure." She ruffled her sister's hair before running out, closing the door behind her. "BYE SIS!"

_And so I'm alone… AGAIN._

Loralie looked around the boat house before picking up a flashlight and grabbing her street clothes. The junkyard seemed pretty tempting right now.

_But… No… I shouldn't…_ She hesitated before looking at the clock. _But sis will be gone all night!_

… _OH SCREW IT! _She got dressed, braiding her hair back and grabbing a messenger bag before heading out, taking the spare key to the boat house with her.

"How about this?"

"No."

"This?"

"No!"

Mikey sighed, throwing another piece of tech over his shoulder. Junkyard scavenging with Donnie never was simple. "What are you looking for anyway!?"

Donnie gave him a look. "I said back at the lair, I need components for the shell cycle, anew muffler for the Battle Shell and heaven forbid Leo so much as looks at the microwave funny we'll need one of those too!"

"Sir yes sir…"

The youngests of the Hamato clan were alone, Leo and Raph had gone on patrol. They had been arguing before leaving so they could only assume it was about settling yet another bet. After a while of silence, Mikey spoke up again. "So, think Raph'll come back for another rousing game of "What limbs do I need stitched back on next?" or think Leo will?"

"Leo NEVER plays THAT game." Donnie replied, shifting through some of the trash, scanning for what he was looking for. "So probably Raph." He sighed, hoping that he was wrong.

"Yeah-Hey!"

"What?"

Mikey held up a trading card in a plastic shell. "A rare card!"

Donnie shook his head. "One man's trash…"

_Hmph! He doesn't appreciate the awesome things in life._

_Ewwwww…. Why did I think this was a good idea!?_

Loralie cringed, wishing she had brought a clothespin or something to muffle the smell at least to a point.

"Ugh…" She shook her head as she tried shifting through some of it. _Anything useful goes… With a lot of bleach… and soap… and soap with bleach… and maybe some lye to be safe…_

She looked up hearing a yelp. _What was that…?_

"What did you drop?"

"Uh… You don't wanna know…"

_Who else is here!? _ Loralie wondered, climbing up further on the pile she was looking through, managing to get a glimpse. She couldn't make them out very well, but she could tell there was someone else.

"Anyways… This!?"

"No."

"What about this?"

"Are you seriously going to do this all night?"

"Is it annoying you?"

"Yes."

"Then yes."

WHACK!

"OW!"

She blinked, leaning forward more, wondering what that was all about. _Who else would go through junk? … Well… Okay, a lot of people if their desperate… But this late…?_

She squinted, trying to make out the two figures. One was rubbing their head and the other was going back to looking through the trash. "If you're not going to help, go find some other trouble to get into."

"Raph's not here so sorry, but you're stuck with me."

"Ugh… Joy."

Loralie furrowed her brow, climbing up more, mis-stepping as the trash shifted. She let out as gasp before tumbling down with it, letting out a yelp when something clocked her on the head.

"OW!"

_Ugh… What the heck!?_ She looked to the side to see… a keyboard had struck her. She looked around quickly before grabbing it and backing up. She didn't hear the two figures speaking anymore.

_Oh boy…_

She backed up, looking around turning to run off…. when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Hi."

Loralie whirled around to come face to face with someone looking down at her hanging upside down. "... AHHH!" She leapt back. "W-What the…?"

"What?"

Donnie, from his hiding spot, ran a hand down his face as he watched his brother. This was not how it was done, but Mikey seemed to march to his own drummer. _Especially when it's a bad idea… Come to think of it… This is something he'd do… _

"Just get back!" When Mikey leapt down, she held up the keyboard as if she'd swing it. "D-Don't make me use this!"

"Hey easy… Not here to attack!"

Loralie growled a little. "Sneaking up on me in a junkyard, yeah that just screams kumbaya and all that. Back up or you get a D-minor in pain!"

She didn't count on Mikey being fast and snatching the instrument away from her. She wasn't that strong when it came to her grip so she lost it fast. "Aw come on!"

"You really don't wanna try that." He replied, looking her over. _Yeah… Definitely not a costume… _

Loralie backed up. "Just… Stay away…"

_Giant… Tortoise? _ She thought looking the turtle over. _And I want that keyboard back…_

_All the girls do this…. Freak out and back up before-_

THUD!

"OW!"

_Hitting their head. April… You've set the standard._

"Probably should've mentioned the two by four."

The shark girl grimaced, rubbing her head, glaring at the turtle who was trying his hardest not to laugh. "W-Wipe that smirk off your face!"

"So what happened to "stay back"? Thought you were angry about THAT."

"S-Shut up! And give me back that keyboard!"

Mikey held up the instrument. "This thing? Like I'd give you back something to use as a weapon."

_Oh… That is it… I want that for my sister… and I will get it back. _ She growled before charging, jumping up, trying to grab for it when it was held out of reach. "I said give it back!"

He moved to the side, dodging an attempt to tackle him. "Ahuh… Sure."

Loralie growled, bringing her hands up to her face. _That's it… I am gonna scratch that smirk right off-_

"Break it up! Mikey, just give the darn thing back! You said you were gonna say "hi" not turn your powers of annoyance on 'er!" Donnie called as both mutants looked up. Loralie dropping her stance as she found herself dumbfounded.

_Two giant turtles… I shouldn't be surprised but I am…_

Mikey shrugged, dropping the keyboard. "Whatever you say bro!"

Loralie picked it up, and looked it over. "Ugh… It's gross." She muttered. She briefly wondered why she wanted it back in the first place. It was damaged and dirty from it's time in the junkyard. But it was still a keyboard that was free and might still work. _For my sister… Yep… Sister of the year award…_

"So you wanted it back because…?"

She looked up and glared. "As if I'd tell the tortoise, turtle thingy stalking me!"

"Stalking!?"

Both heard laughter as Mikey glared at his brother. "Not funny Don!"

"Yep… Anyways…" She tucked the keyboard out of her arm. ".. This never happened. Got it? Good." She ran off making it out of the exit looking back for a second and shaking her head. _Yeah… This was a BAD idea._

"So… Think that's the last of that?"

WHACK!"

"OW! Not the staff!"

"On what planet did that seem like a good idea?!" Donnie held up a hand as Mikey started to reply. "Actually, don't answer that. I don't wanna hear it."

"Hmph. It seemed like a good idea at the time! You don't see mutant chicks that often!"

"And if she had been violent? … Or actually put up a real fight?" He countered, leaning on his weapon.

"... Shut up."


	4. Chapter 3: And I'm like-Turn it off!

Chapter 3:

Emmaline sighed as she finally left the theater, shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked along. It had been a rough shift. There had been a few arguments among patrons that lead to things getting thrown. A recently hired employee had set off a popcorn avalanche right as she was walking through the concession stand, leading to her getting covered in it, and for some reason she had to keep going into one theater to tell one person that no, they could not scream at the people on their cellphones no matter how annoying they were. _I swear, any movie goer besides the actual quiet ones are idiots… How hard is it to plop your butt down in a chair for two hours and be a civil human being!?_

_And for that matter… Ugh, I'm gonna be combing popcorn out of my hair tonight… _ She ran a hand through her hair, dislodging a few stray kernels. "Yep… So combing popcorn outta my hair…"

_Swear that guy in the trench coat who wouldn't shut up was giving me a glare when he was walking out… Dude, I have to do my job… _

She was in a bad mood and the sight of the boathouse only served to alleviate it slightly. She rummaged through her purse, finding the keys and unlocked the door heading in. "Lora? I'm home!" She called.

Loralie peered out from behind the door to their makeshift shower. "Ten minutes and it's yours. You don't wanna know what I had to go through."

"... We'll share stories of woe after I get the shower."

When both sisters were cleaned up and able to relax, Emmaline let it out, ranting and raving as she combed through her hair. "And I swear one of 'em would've pulled a knife or something on me if he had the chance!" She made a stabbing motion with her comb before flopping back onto her bed. "So that was my sucky night. How was yours?"

"I got marauded by mutant tortoises."

There was a moment of silence before Emmaline shot back up. "YOU WHAT!?"

"You heard me." She crossed her arms, giving her sister a look. "Mutant tortoises… Okay more like turtles, but man… Talk about annoying!"

"What happened!?"

Loralie got up, pulling out the keyboard, now cleaned up and presented it to her sister. "Happy late eighteenth."

Emmaline looked at it confused and surprised. "How…?"

"This is why I got maureded. You're welcome!"

"Just...Tell me! Thanks for the present and all but seriously!"

"It's a long annoying story." Loralie sighed, laying on her side, curling up a little. "There was two of 'em. One of 'em didn't annoy me for the most part, but the second one… I was THIS close to mauling."

Emmaline didn't believe her, giving her an unimpressed look. "You, maul someone?"

"... Okay, so he totally kept dodging any attempts to scratch his face off-"

"He attacked you!?"

"..." Loralie muttered something.

"What was that?" Her sister pressed.

"... He played keep away… He was taller than me…" She muttered, turning a shade of brown, blushing. She hated how short she was and that night just proved how short she actually was.

"What did you do to prompt that!?"

"I fell off a pile of garbage and was trying to make an exit that WASN'T like an elephant storming through a china shop! There!"

Emmaline shook her head in disbelief. "So… You got seen… and harassed by two… mutant turtles?"

"One, the other one was trying to control him." She replied, giving a sheepish look. "Please don't be mad."

"YOU GOT SEEN!"

"And they were mutants too, so it's good-"

"No! It's not!"

"Emma!"

"LORALIE!"

"Emma… Let's not do this right now. I'm tired, you're tired we're both mad-"

"Lora… You are SO busted tomorrow when I've had some sleep."

Loralie rolled her eyes, rolling over. "You're welcome!"

Emmaline sighed, laying back, setting the keyboard down. A thought crossed her mind. "Hey, did you find a better scale-"

A pillow was chucked at her. "GO TO BED!"

_So that's a no._

_Alright… So Loralie got seen… Got into a keep away fight with someone else… A turtle…_

_Given what I saw when we busted her outta that place a few months back I can't call bullcrap…_

She closed her eyes trying to push it from her mind for now. She could worry about it in the morning when she wasn't running on a dose of caffeine and little sleep.

_And I'm buying a new scale…_

"And then, she kept coming in and tellin' me to shut up!"

"Raph, she said to keep your voice down."

All four brothers were now at home and going over the evening's events. Mikey and Donnie were a little disappointed to hear their brothers had snuck into the newest action film. _Come on, at least ask us if we wanna go!_

"So you kept being the loud mouth in a crowded theater… Niiice." Mikey smirked. "Though if she threw you out that'd be better-"

"Don't make me come over there."

"Not like you were any better." Donnie said, giving him a look. "Wait until you hear about our evening…"

Leo frowned leaning back in his chair. "What happened?"

Donnie started to explain, Mikey cutting in trying to defend himself. "And then he played keep away with the darn thing-"

"She was short! Not like she could even reach it!"

"Guys!" Leo cut in a serious look in his eyes. "The biggest thing is… You're sure she was a mutant?"

Donnie nodded. "Positive. There was no way that could've been a costume. No smudging to indicate paint, and think about it this way… Why would a girl in a costume go to a junkyard? No reason for it… Plus… The fin sticking out of her back was a good indicator." He replied thinking back to earlier that night. "Wasn't exactly a strong fighter though. Couldn't get a blow in period. Definietly inexperienced… She was more like… Well remember that time with Angel's iPod?"

Angel was an old friend of theirs they met through Casey and the turtles sometimes messed with her like older brothers with a younger sister. Raph winced, remembering the iPod incident. "Yeah, she didn't get any blows in at first but then she gave Mikey a good scratch with those nails of 'ers."

"Yeah that almost happened. He at least ducked this time. But she had claws on her hands. Could've really gotten him if she had actually landed a hit."

Mikey scoffed. "Not like she could've! I was fast… Like a shadow!"

_Five… Four...Three...Two-_

"Besides! I'm the Battle Nexus Champion!" He boasted with a smirk.

WHACK!

"OW! HEY!"

"For the millionth time, we get it!" All of his brothers chorused. _He's never gonna let THAT go._

"Anyways… She took off after Mikey finally dropped the keyboard, and that happened. Oh, and we didn't find what we were looking for either… SOMEONE was busy bugging me and strange mutants instead of helping." The genius gave his brother another look. Mikey hmph'd, crossing his arms.

"Hey, we didn't get attacked at least."

"Still… There's another mutant wandering New York… She might not have been a skilled fighter tonight but that could change… And for that matter… If someone's created another mutant… Who's to say she's the only one?"

_I swear, I shouldn't have brought that thing home…_ Loralie thought, covering her ears, blocking out most of her sister's playing. The keyboard still worked but the sound was… Wonky at best. Emmaline was good at the piano. She had a baby grand back where they grew up… But the keyboard was proving a challenge.

_If I hear one more off note…_

PLINK! PLINK! PLINK!

"Oooh! You! You got what I neeeed!"

"WILL YOU SHUT THAT THING UP!?"

Emmaline looked at her younger sister with a bit of an evil grin and just kept at it, singing out of key for good measure. Loralie groaned, covering her head with a pillow.

"No! NO! Anything but that song!"

"Oh but you have summoned it, I only obey its orders!"

"Emma! Please!"

"NOPE!"

PLINK!

_I may have to kill her…._ "You know… This constitutes as psychological warfare somewhere."

"And I don't apply to that."

"Emma!"

"Lora!"

Both sisters stared each other down. _If she doesn't shut that thing up I am BREAKING HER SCALE AND LEAVING A BIG BAG OF POPCORN RIGHT IN REACH!_

PLINK!

"Lessee… Oh, I know!" Emmaline gave another evil grin.

"What?" Loralie asked, gulping a bit.

"You know you love me, you know you care-"

"NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT SONG!"

Emmaline smirked and kept going.

"And I was like "baby baby oh! Like baby baby, baby no!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! NO! STOP IT!" Loralie screamed, running to the opposite end of the room. "STOP!"

"NEVER!"

"STOP!"

Emmaline played a bit more before giving her sister a smirk. "I will stop… Eventually."

"That's it. Your scale is going in the garbage!"

"WAIT! No, anything but that!"

"TOO LATE!" Loralie plucked the device off the ground and looked around outside before throwing it out into the street. "If you want it, go and get it!"

Emmaline set down her keyboard, looking around. "No cars…"

Loralie waited until her sister was just leaning through the threshold before shoving her. "And THAT is for that song!"

"OOF! Hey!"

Emmaline gave her sibling a look before quickly retrieving the scale. "Now… C'mere you!"

"NEVER!"

They broke into a chase. There was screaming, some name calling until Emmaline tackle hugged her sister, messing up her hair.

"Ahh! Not the hair! Not the hair!"

"Oh yes!" They both laughed as they goofed around more.

_I love it when my sis has days off…._

"So… Did ya work with HIM last night?" Loralie asked, her sister grinning. Emmaline poked her sister in the forehead, shoving her lightly.

"Oh hush up. I have no time for boys so don't even go there."

Loralie shook her head. "C'mon why deny yourself?"

"Because… I literally have no time for boys and I like having my free time for me." She retorted, shrugging. "I just don't see the point. Not when I got more important things."

"Sis…"

"Seriously… Like for one… You… And second… Losing those two pounds…"

Loralie shoved her sister. "You are officially the weird one."

"Shark."

"Fleshy."

"Short."

"Freakishly tall."

"Least I can reach tall things."

"Those are fighting words!"

It was a few weeks later when Emmaline was working at the antique shop that she heard something upstairs.

"Um… Ma'am?" She called quietly getting the attention of her boss, April O'Neil. She looked up listening for a moment.

_When I told Raph he could watch the Giants game with Casey upstairs I didn't say make a big racket…._ She thought shaking her head. "Just my boyfriend and his best friend making goons out of themselves."

"Oh…. Wait! You have a boyfriend!?" She asked in surprise, she had never seen hide or tail of any "boyfriend" in her time working there.

The redhead grinned leaning against the counter a bit. "Yep. He's.. Interesting."

"Interesting huh? What's his name?"

April usually wouldn't open up about things like this, but she and Emmaline had gotten to know each other in the last few weeks. While the other woman hadn't revealed anything of her own background except that she had a kid sister back home, she figured Casey was going to reveal himself one way or another… As long as Raph and his brothers weren't revealed it would be alright. "Casey Jones."

"Casey Jones huh… Cool." She nodded going back to wrapping up the vases she had been trying to pack up. An older woman had come in a few hours before and purchased as many of the older vases that they had and requested them be ready for pick up for later that evening. It was a gift she had said. "You know… I wonder who she's giving these to… I mean… No offense April but these are some pretty… Funky." _Hideous._ "Vases."

April shrugged. "One man's hideous antique is another man's treasure."

"True-You think it's ugly too?" Emmaline giggled holding up one that was a rather atrocious color of pink with green accents.

"Oh gosh yes. Look at it! It looks like something my mother would've had in the 70's!"

"My mom would've killed to have this sucker mailed to her mother-in-law-" Emmaline cut herself off. _Careful...Careful…._

April looked at the younger woman raising an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"N-nothing worth talking about is all…. So… Your boyfriend… What's he do for a living?"

_Bust heads._ "He specializes in sports equipment."

"Ah. Dick's Sporting Goods or MC Sports?"

"Something like that." _If by specializes in sports means that he knows exactly how hard to swing whatever sports equipment he has to crack a guy's head open… Then yeah he specializes in it._ She thought before both jumped hearing something fall over.

"Ugh… Excuse me." She said cracking her knuckles heading upstairs to her apartment. "CASEY JONES! WHAT FELL OVER?!"

April entered her apartment to find not just Casey and Raph and a fallen over entertainment center…. But Mikey and Donnie as well. "So where's the Blue Ranger? I'm surprised I don't have a full pack of men here."

"Training." All four males responded.

"... And the TV?"

Donnie quickly set it back up and looked it over. "Still in tact… Wasn't us, but Raph-"

"HEY!"

April held up a hand demanding silence. "Look… I don't really care… I've lived with you guys long enough to know to get insurance on everything I own just in case… But my new cashier doesn't know that and she's downstairs wondering what the heck is going on."

"We're sorry." Mikey said giving her the kicked turtle look.

April swore she felt her heart break a little every time they pulled that tactic. It never failed. "Hrk! Not the face!"

Donnie and Raph shoved him closer. "You couldn't stay mad at this face could you?" Donnie asked as Mikey threw in a whimper.

"I mean look at 'em!" Raph added with a smirk.

April looked away. "Call him off! Call him off! All is forgiven!"

"Awesome!"

"Thanks Ape!"

She nodded. "I better head back downstairs before-"

They all heard a scream come from downstairs followed by the sound of breaking glass. "Oh...Shell."

The guys grabbed their weapons as April grabbed a bat she kept by her bed as they quickly hurried downstairs.

There was broken glass and a figure lying on the ground facedown, three masked men moving away from it, shoving what they could into bags.

April stifled a gasp recognizing the prone figure on the floor… It was Emmaline.

The turtles silently got into position.

_One…._

_Two…_

_THREE!_

It all happened in a flash, Casey ran in swinging, the turtles attacking the robbers as they got distracted. They were poor fighters and were taken down in a matter of minutes, as Raph and Casey tied them up.

As soon as she could April ran over to Emmaline turning her over. "Emmaline? Hey can you hear me?"

There was a small trickle of blood coming down from the girl's head trailing down her face. She was out cold.

Donnie knelt beside her looking the girl over. "Let's get her upstairs so I can get a better look… But it looks like once we're done here, next stop for this girl is the ER."

"Right… Let's just hope they didn't do too much damage…"

_Though…. This girl looks familiar for some reason..._


	5. Chapter 4: Meeting take two

**Chapter 4:**

Emmaline after Donnie had patched her up, had been taken to the hospital, she had a concussion and needed to be observed for a few days. She was in a panic wondering what her sister was going to do with her gone. She was supposed to go grocery shopping the night she was attacked, the boathouse didn't have any food.

_She's all by herself, probably worried sick… What if something happens to her? What if she starves!?_

"Emma?"

Her head shot up seeing April enter the room. "Oh… Hey ma'am…"

"Call me April. Not ma'am." She said taking a seat. "How you feeling?"

The eighteen year old sighed leaning back a little. "Sore, sick of getting poked and prodded… And worried… About… Well… My sister…"

"Your sister? Why?"

"... She doesn't live with my mom and dad… She lives with me and I don't have a phone, we don't even own a landline… She doesn't know where I am…" Emmaline felt a pang of guilt as she lowered her head. "I...I was supposed to go food shopping last night…"

"Emmaline… Look at me…"

She looked up. April gave her a gentle look taking her hand.

"Until you get out of here I can take care of her… Just give me the address and I can pick her up." She said assuringly. _How hard can it be? Just one teenage girl right?_

Emmaline got a horrified look pulling her hand away. "Y-you can't! You...You don't understand…!"

April narrowed her eyes a little. "Emmaline… If it's because I'm a stranger to her, I've lived with some teenage relatives before and taken care of them. Four at the same time and my house is still standing."

"No it's…" She looked to the open door. "...Close the door…"

April got up getting it. "Lock it please."

She sighed doing so wondering what it was. She sat down again and leaned forward curious now. "Now… What don't I get?"

Emmaline sighed running a hand through her hair, wondering how she was going to explain this. _Well my little sister is a mutant! Not just any kind of mutant but a teenage shark girl mutant! Oh by the way she's also a LITTLE clumsy! But she can make a mean macaroon? Oh GREAT idea genius!_

"... She's not normal."

_She's not normal… THAT'S MY BEST GO!? Stupid, stupid, stupid! _She started hitting herself with her pillow. "Stupid, stupid, stuipid!"

"EMMA!" April took it away. "Calm down for five minutes and just spit it out. She's not normal… Emphasize the not."

Emmaline touched the locket she had around her neck, no one could tell from looking at it, that it could open. "... Come closer."

April leaned forward looking at it as Emmaline cracked it open revealing two pictures…

One of a young girl around fifteen, beaming at the camera wearing a costume from some ballet striking a pose, who beared a strong resemblance to Emmaline… The other picture…

Of… What looked like another young girl, if not the same girl. The girl in this picture, had light brown skin, with dark brown spots covering what looked like her entire body from what April could see. She had a large white rimmed black spot on the right side of her face, and from what she could make out on her neck… She had gills. In this picture she looked nervous, wearing a sailor style top with short sleeves crossing her arms.

"This… Is Loralie… My sister…"

"My word…" April breathed, looking at the pictures closely… It really was the same girl. "What… Happened to her?"

"Liars... " Emmaline replied swallowing hard. "... Liars happened."

The woman looked at the girl closely, looking at the picture Emmaline looked like she was on the brink of tears.

"I… I couldn't protect her…"

"Emmaline… Let me help you…"

"Promise you won't tell anyone what she is? Or who she is?"

"Promise on my life she'll be safe…. Where is she?"

Emmaline grabbed a piece of paper and a pen jotting down where the boat house was. "Here…"

April pocketed it and smiled giving the girl's shoulder a squeeze. "Everything's gonna be just fine."

"Thank you." She smiled quickly wiping her eyes free of tears of relief. "...Seriously...Thank you."

"Hey… Everything'll be fine…"

* * *

><p>Loralie proved to be harder then expected to move out of the boathouse. The shark girl, had first tried blocking the door, then just plain went into hiding… And it took April nearly an hour to convince her that yes, her sister sent her.<p>

Now the girl was curled up upright on the couch of April's apartment watching a movie and trying to stay awake. April had some thing's to work on downstairs, so Loralie kept to herself.

Loralie blinked slowly watching the screen in front of her. She thought she'd be more awake getting to see an actual TV again but it lost it's novelty now.

_And I really wanted to watch Divergent too…._ Loralie thought shifting so she was laying on her side resting her head on the arm of the couch. Just as Tris and Christina jumped off the Dauntless train, Loralie's eyes slid shut as she passed right out exhausted.

She was down for the count, she didn't hear April come back upstairs, she didn't hear the window slide open. Or see who stepped through.

She was oblivious to the newcomer who came to look over something of April's that wasn't working right, and that said newcomer recognized her. "April…!?" Donnie whisper/yelled looking at the passed out mutant.

"I know, I know lots of explaining-"

"That's the girl who wanted to claw Mikey's face off!" He interrupted.

April blinked and looked at Loralie, the girl was curled up on her side, knees brought to her chest. She didn't seem like a fighter just startled easily from what she had seen. "Well… She was pretty jumpy when her sister asked me to get her…"

"Sister…?"

"Emmaline… Is her older sister."

Donnie blinked before it dawned on him. "So THAT'S why she looked familiar." He murmured.

"Yeah… Her sister was frantic about someone looking after her… She hasn't made trouble for me except being terrified that I was lying about being sent by her sister…"

"Well… I can't really blame her."

"Me either… Just… Goodness... It's weird seeing another mutant so young up close y'know?"

He nodded. "Yeah… I know…" The inventor knelt looking at the girl closer. She was out like a light, her hair in her face a little. He noted the gills on her neck narrowing his eyes in thought. The gills looked functional, but it was clear she could breathe above water as well. "Strange…"

"They think she's been crossed with an Epaulette… But Emmaline didn't want to give me the whole story…" April explained crossing her arms. "Can't really blame her… I'm pretty much a stranger to them."

"Well it looks like whoever mutated her knew what they were doing… As insane a thought that is… The gills prove that much." He commented moving back. _Still… She was a human once… She didn't deserve this…_

Their thoughts were interrupted when the girl on the couch started to stir.

_Oh boy…. This is not gonna be pretty…_

Donnie was too late to hide when she opened her eyes looking directly at him.

There was a haze of confusion in her eyes before she rubbed them sitting up and looking again as if it might make the turtle in front of her vanish… Before her eyes widened in alarm that he was in fact standing there. He knew that look, and he braced himself for the inevitable.

"You… You…"

_Here we go… AHHH! Your the freak from the other night!_

A pillow was flung at him. "YOU WERE WATCHING ME SLEEP!?" She shrieked grabbing the other couch cushion. Donnie deflected the first one ducking when the second one went flying.

"Hey take it easy with those!" He exclaimed. "It was unintentional! I was observing not watching!" He added quickly.

Loralie gave him a look of disbelief before shuddering hugging herself. "That's so Edward Cullen it makes me sick!" She groaned shuddering once more. "Ugh…" She looked at him closer and blinked. "Hey wait a sec-"

"If this involves couch cushions sorry but there was only two unless you wanna get up."

"It's not that… You... " She trailed off as it clicked. "... Hey! You and your friend were bugging me the other night!"

Donnie cringed a bit. A new mutant and she already hated him it appeared. "Brother not friend and I was trying to get him away from you… He's sadly naturally annoying…"

Loralie was quiet watching him with a hardened look. "... Okay your off the hook for the watching me sleep like a Slenderturtle…. But your brother gets forty five percent power if I see him again."

_S-SLENDER TURTLE!?_ Donnie thought giving her a look back. "I was NOT watching you sleep for the last time!"

"Mm-hm…. Alright I got that out of my system…" She stretched a bit. "Listen to me… Having an argument with a talking turtle… And I thought I was the only mutant running around…" _The only free roaming mutant at least…._

Donnie sighed rubbing the back of his neck. This wasn't how things usually went down. He expected screaming, fainting, running away or sometimes all three. Not… This. _She actually compared me to Edward Cullen… Hmph… _

An awkward silence settled as the two teens looked at one another curious but not willing to be the first one to ask.

_Great now it's weird and awkward…_ April thought before the bell downstairs sounded. "I'll be right back. Try not to bludgeon him to death with a couch cushion. I still need him around." She said heading downstairs.

Once they were alone, Loralie got up heading straight for the garbage can having her back to Donnie. She winced before spitting out a sharpened tooth into it. _Ugh… Another new row's comin' in already…? _

"You alright?"

"H-huh?"

"I said… You alright?"

She looked over to him and nodded. "Uh… Just somethin' stupid…" She said glancing away. "My name's Loralie…"

"Donatello."

She blinked recognizing the name. "Like the artist?"

The ninja chuckled. "Yep, the very one… Ehehe you could say my dad had a thing for artists…. My brothers are all named after 'em too."

"Nice… My sister still gripes about her middle name being a boy's name...Well Donatello… Nice to meet'cha."

He nodded.

Another bout of silence followed as the two teens looked at each other then looked away. "Um… Sorry this is just weird…" Loralie said finally running a hand through her hair. "I thought I was the only mutant, and then I thought you and your brother were just douchebags-No offense, but the keyboard incident made me REALLY mad."

"That's Mikey for ya… My brother has a tendency to drive people crazy." Donnie sighed. "It's his secret mutant power we swear."

She giggled. "Well long as he doesn't make it a habit of bugging me… I think he can be allowed to live." She joked.

"Right."

When April came back up an hour or so later, she found Donnie working on the heater he promised he'd fix for her, and Loralie was standing nearby watching.

"Wrench."

She passed it to him.

"Coils."

"Here."

"Sandwich."

"... Make it yourself."

_Well…. Looks like I didn't have to worry about 'em…._


End file.
